book quotes from the love hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis Quotes

30 Best The Love Hypothesis Quotes With Image

1. Love is not purely based on physical attraction: The Love Hypothesis explores the idea that love is more than just a superficial connection. It emphasizes the importance of emotional connection, shared interests, and genuine understanding between two individuals, rather than solely focusing on physical appearance.

2. Love requires vulnerability: The book teaches us that love involves taking risks and being vulnerable. Both the main characters, Olive and Adam, have their own insecurities and fears, but they learn to open up to each other and embrace vulnerability for the sake of their relationship.

3. Love can come from unexpected places: The Love Hypothesis challenges the notion of love being limited to certain types of people or relationships. Sometimes, love can come from unexpected sources, and it is important to remain open-minded and receptive to different possibilities.

4. Communication is essential in a relationship: Throughout the story, we witness the importance of clear and open communication between Olive and Adam. They learn to express their feelings, fears, and desires, leading to a stronger bond and a deeper understanding of each other.

5. Love takes time and effort: The Love Hypothesis highlights that love is not an instant or effortless process. It requires time, patience, and effort from both individuals involved. It showcases the ups and downs of a relationship, emphasizing the need for commitment and perseverance to make love work.

The Love Hypothesis Quotes | Ali Hazelwood | Scribble Whatever

The best quotes by the author we have brought to you.

A good kiss will do that: make a girl forget herself for a while. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

A heart will break even more easily than the weakest of hydrogen bonds. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

Academia takes a lot from you and gives back very little. It’s hard to stick around without a good reason to do so. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

Academia was very much an old boys’ club, where those who held the power liked to take advantage of those who didn’t without repercussions. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“And then I’ll come find you, and I’ll take care of you.” – Adam” (The Love Hypothesis Quotes) Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

Approximately two out of three fake-dating situations will eventually involve room-sharing; 50 percent of room-sharing situations will be further complicated by the presence of only one bed. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Because I’m starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

 “Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“But a good kiss will do that: make a girl forget herself for a while.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

 “Everyone likes tall, broody, sullen hunks with genius IQs.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Expiration dates are for the weak.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“He opened his mouth, and then closed it. And then opened it again. You kissed that mouth, Olive. And it was a good kiss.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“He’d clearly never seen a rom-com or read a romance novel in his life.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Her heart may be broken, but her brain was doing just fine.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I am going to take care of this,” he told her. There was something determined, earnest in his eyes. Olive had never felt safer, or more loved. “And then I’ll come find you, and I’ll take care of you.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I know it’s scary, being vulnerable, but you can allow yourself to care. You can want to be with people as more than just friends or casual acquaintances.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I must say, the line between excellent career choice and critical life screwup is getting a bit blury.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I’m going to kill you,” he gritted out, little more than a growl. “If you say another word about the woman I love, if you look at her, if you even think about her – I’m going to f*cking kill you.” (The Love Hypothesis Quotes) Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“If you say another word about the woman I love, He’d clearly never seen a rom-com or read a romance novel in his life.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I’m starting to wonder if this is what being in love is. Being okay with ripping yourself to shreds, so the other person can stay whole.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

In academia every position above the graduate student level required some degree of assness in order to be held for any length of time, with tenured faculty at the very peak of the ass pyramid. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when she was sitting on her bed staring at the Boston skyline and chewing on her lunch, that Olive realized that the protein bar Adam had given her was covered in chocolate.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“I’ve never been surer of anything. Except maybe cell theory.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

Not everyone has what it takes to be a scientist, and those who don’t should be weeded out.  Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Not having a life came in handy, sometimes.”  Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Olive had felt that he was on her side. Over & over, & in ways that could never have anticipated, he had made her feel unjudged.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Only child of financially rich but emotionally poor parents. I could do whatever I wanted but had no one to do it with.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“Or, you could stay mad, and we could go to your lab and throw test tubes full of toxic reagents at each other until the pain of third-degree burns overrides your shitty mood? Sounds like fun, no?” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“She would have loved to run to the edge of campus and scream into the void until modern civilization collapsed, but that wasn’t exactly a pressing matter.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

That’s the thing with science. We’re drilled to believe that false positives are bad, but false negatives are just as terrifying. Not being able to see something, even if it’s in front of your eyes. Purposefully making yourself blind, just because you’re afraid of seeing too much. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“There’s nothing bad about taking more than five years to graduate,” he offered in a conciliatory tone.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“This might be inappropriate but… Olive. You are really… You are extraordinary” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

Virginity is not a continuous variable, it’s categorical. Binary. Nominal. Dichotomous. Ordinal, potentially. Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“You can fall in love: someone will catch you.” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

“You kiss him and next thing you know he’s saving your ass and he’s buying you scones and calling you a smart-ass in a weirdly affectionate tone” Ali Hazelwood The Love Hypothesis

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'The Love Hypothesis' won Amazon's best romance book of 2021, has a near-perfect rating on Goodreads, and is all over TikTok. Here's why it's such a unique love story.

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• " The Love Hypothesis " grabbed the attention of romance readers everywhere in 2021.
• It was named Amazon's Best Romance Novel of 2021 and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award.
• This book checks off all my boxes for a great romance read and is definitely worth the hype.

This year, Amazon named " The Love Hypothesis " by Ali Hazelwood the best romance book of the year. Even though it was only recently published in September 2021, "The Love Hypothesis" has quickly become a fan-favorite, with 88% of Goodreads reviewers giving it four- or five-star-level praise .

It was also nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award and is hugely popular amongst Book of the Month members , with only 1% of readers giving it a "disliked" rating.

"The Love Hypothesis" is about Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate studying pancreatic cancer at Stanford. In an attempt to convince one of her best friends that she's moved on from an old crush, she impulsively kisses Dr. Adam Carlsen, the department's notoriously brutal (but undeniably attractive) professor. After the kiss, Adam and Olive agree to fake a relationship so she can prove to her friend that she's happily dating and he can convince their department that he isn't planning to leave anytime soon.

I'm a little picky about my romance novels , so giving this read every bit of a five-star review didn't come lightly. My standards are high because the best romance novels have the potential to expose readers to authentic and imperfect relationships and offer new topics of discussion without making us feel like it's a story we've already read. 

With all the hype surrounding this new romance read, I couldn't resist picking it up.

Here's why "The Love Hypothesis" is one of my favorite recent romance books:

1. the story focuses a lot on olive and adam's lives outside their romance, making their love story more believable and interesting..

Romance novels tend to fall into a few popular tropes such as " enemies-to-lovers " or "forbidden love." "The Love Hypothesis" combines two of the most popular tropes right now, "Fake dating" and "grumpy/sunshine," really well — I loved the contrast between Adam's serious attitude to Olive's bright and sugary one. 

But despite following these tropes, the story feels fresh because it's also largely about Olive's work and its meaning to her. The only other romance book I've read featuring a STEM heroine is "The Kiss Quotient" , so I loved seeing that representation and learning about something new. 

The story honestly reflected the challenges Ph.D. candidates face in academia and that authenticity — deepened by the author's personal experiences — brought the characters, the settings, and the romance to life even more as Olive and Adam faced challenges with funding, time-consuming research, and questioning their sense of purpose.

2. The steamier scenes are also awkward and realistic, which made them even better.

In romance books, there are a few different levels of how graphic a steamy scene can get , from little-to-no detail to explicitly outlined movements. (I personally prefer mine to "fade to black.")

There was only one chapter with adult content, and it was definitely graphic. While I made a ton of ridiculous faces while reading and tried to skim past the parts that made me audibly gasp, I loved that it wasn't a movie-made, perfect sex scene with graceful movements and smooth dialogue. The scene was a little awkward, imperfect, and full of consent and conversation, making it refreshingly real.

3. The book deals with other topics besides the main love story, making it a much deeper read.

While it's wonderful to get swept up in the magic of a romantic storyline, having a secondary plot that addresses real issues is what makes a romance novel truly great . 

Mild spoilers and content warnings ahead: While "The Love Hypothesis" is a fun romantic read, it also addresses the pain of familial death, power differentials, intimacy challenges, and, most prevalently, workplace sexual harassment. 

Love is beautiful, fun, and amazing, but "The Love Hypothesis" takes the opportunity to also include conversations about serious issues. While these topics may be tough for some readers, I think these plot points, hard conversations, and complicated emotions take "The Love Hypothesis" to the next level and make it a five-star read. 

The bottom line

"The Love Hypothesis" has everything I personally look for in a romance novel: A unique storyline, authentic characters, and an important message. If you're looking for a perfectly balanced romance read, "The Love Hypothesis" is worth the hype and definitely one of the best romance books to come out in the past year.

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The Love Hypothesis (Review, Synopsis & Summary)

By ali hazelwood.

Book review and synopsis for The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, a delightful rom-com about a fake relationship between a biology Ph.D. student and a professor.

In The Love Hypothesis , Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. candidate who shares a kiss with a handsome stranger in order make her friend think that she's in a relationship. She's horrified when she realizes the "stranger" is Dr. Adam Carlson, a prominent professor in her department who is known for being a hypercritical and moody tyrant.

She and Adam each have reasons for needing to be in a relationship, and they agree to pretend to date for the sake of appearances. Of course, as she gets to know Adam, it's only a matter of time before she starts feeling something for him, and it becomes clear that her little experiment in fake-dating just might combust...

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

Three years prior, Olive Smith talks to a guy when she's in the bathroom fixing her contacts (and can't see) after her Ph.D. candidate interview. She tells him about her passion for her research. She doesn't catch his name but remembers the conversation distinctly and wonders about the guy she met.

In present day, Olive is a biology Ph.D. student researching early detection methods for pancreatic cancer. She kisses a guy randomly in order to trick her best friend into thinking she's dating someone (so that her best friend Anh won't feel bad about dating Olive's ex). That guy turns out to be Dr. Adam Carlson , a young, handsome and highly-respected tenured faculty member in her department. He's also known for being hypercritical and moody.

Meanwhile, Adam's department chair is worried that he's planning on leaving for another university and has frozen some of his research funds. So, Adam he agrees to pretend to be in a relationship with Olive in order to give the impression he's putting down "roots" here, in hopes they will unfreeze the funds.

As Olive and Adam fake-date, they get to know each other. Olive sees that Adam is demanding and blunt towards his students, but not unkind or mean. Olive confides in him about her mother getting pancreatic cancer, which is why she's doing her research.

Olive soon realizes that she has feelings for Adam, but she's afraid to tell him. When he overhears her talking about a crush, she pretends it's about someone else. Olive also hears someone else refer to a woman Adam's been pining after for years and is surprised at how jealous she feels.

In the meantime, Olive needs more lab space and has been talking to Dr. Tom Benton for a spot at his lab at Harvard. When Tom arrives in town, it turns out he's friends with Adam. Adam and Tom are friends from grad school, and they have recently gotten a large grant for some joint research that Adam is excited about. After Olive completes a report on her research for Tom, he offers her a spot in his lab for the next year.

Olive and Adam's relationship continues to progress until they attend a science conference in Boston. Olive's research has been selected for a panel presentation, while Adam is a keynote speaker. There, Olive is sexually harassed by Tom, who makes advances on her. When she rejects him, he accuses her of someone who sleeps around to get ahead. He also says that he'll deny it if she tells anyone and that they won't believe her.

While Olive does finally sleep with Adam at the conference, she soon tearfully breaks things off since she doesn't want to complicate things with Adam's joint research project with Tom. Adam is also in the process of applying for a spot at Harvard.

Olive is certain no one will believe her about Tom until she realizes that the accidentally recorded the conversation where he made advances and threatened her. Meanwhile, Olive's roommate Malcolm has started seeing Dr. Holden Rodriguez, a faculty member who is a childhood friend of Adam's. Olive and Malcolm turn to Holden for advice, who encourages them to tell Adam about the recording. He points out that he thinks the main reason that Adam is considering a move to Harvard is because Olive is supposed to be going there.

Olive finds Adam and shows him the video. He is incensed at Tom and reports it to their faculty. When Adam returns from Boston, he reports that Tom has been fired. Meanwhile, Olive has been reaching out to other cancer researchers for spots at other labs, and she's gotten promising responses. Olive tells Adam that she loves him and that she never liked anyone else. Adam admits that he remembered her from the day he met her in the bathroom and that she's the one he's been interested in for years.

Ten months later at the anniversary of their first kiss, Olive and Adam re-create the kiss to mark their anniversary.

For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary .

If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ( $2 , $3 , or $5 ) or joining the Patreon !

Book Review

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood came out a few months ago, and I didn’t really pay much attention to it. However, people seem to really be enjoying this book, and after reading The School for Good Mothers , I was really in mood for something light and fun.

In the Love Hypothesis, Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. student at Stanford who ends up fake-dating a young and handsome tenured professor in her department. All the usual rom-com shenanigans ensue.

The Love Hypothesis is an unapologetically cheesy rom-com novel — with an upbeat attitude, meet cutes, fake-dating tropes, etc. — but it’s also a genuinely fun and often funny book. It hits a lot of familiar notes if you’re familiar with this genre, but somehow Ali Hazelwood has arranged them in a way that ends up being delightful and entertaining.

The book is super melodramatic at parts, uses so many tropes I couldn’t even list them all here if I was inclined to do so and is predictable in the way that rom-coms are always kind of predictable. That all said, I still had a fantastic time reading it and it flew by.

This is a short review because honestly it’s not that complicated to explain that this book is super cheesy and super fun.

Read it or Skip it?

If you like “chick lit” and rom-coms, you should definitely look into this book. I tend to be a little hypercritical of books in this genre, but I really enjoyed The Love Hypothesis . I found myself smiling and chuckling quite a bit as I read it.

This book is a straight-up cheesy rom-com — it is funny, melodramatic and fun as hell. I thought it was great.

See The Love Hypothesis on Amazon.

The Love Hypothesis Audiobook Review

Narrated by : Callie Dalton Length : 11 hours 8 minutes

I listened to about half of this on audiobook. I think the audiobook is solid. The narrator is easy to listen to and does a good job with it.

Hear a sample of The Love Hypothesis audiobook on Libro.fm.

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of The Love Hypothesis

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As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

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Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe thx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Look Inside

The Love Hypothesis

By ali hazelwood on tour, by ali hazelwood on tour read by callie dalton and teddy hamilton, category: contemporary romance, category: contemporary romance | audiobooks.

Sep 14, 2021 | ISBN 9780593336823 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | ISBN 9780593336823 --> Buy

Sep 14, 2021 | ISBN 9780593336830 | ISBN 9780593336830 --> Buy

Sep 14, 2021 | 712 Minutes | ISBN 9780593457573 --> Buy

Buy from Other Retailers:

Sep 14, 2021 | ISBN 9780593336823

Sep 14, 2021 | ISBN 9780593336830

Sep 14, 2021 | ISBN 9780593457573

712 Minutes

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About The Love Hypothesis

The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation! As seen on THE VIEW! A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021 When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Now see Adam pine for Olive in a special bonus chapter! The Instant New York Times Bestseller and TikTok Sensation! As seen on THE VIEW! A BuzzFeed Best Summer Read of 2021 When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

Listen to a sample from The Love Hypothesis

Also by ali hazelwood.

About Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy,… More about Ali Hazelwood

Product Details

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An Indie Next Pick! “A literary breakthrough… The Love Hypothesis is a self-assured debut, and we hypothesize it’s just the first bit of greatness we’ll see from an author who somehow has the audacity to be both an academic powerhouse and divinely talented novelist.”— Entertainment Weekly “ C ontemporary romance’s unicorn: the elusive marriage of deeply brainy and delightfully escapist… The Love Hypothesis has wild commercial appeal but the quieter secret is that there is a specific audience, made up of all of the Olives in the world, who have deeply, ardently waited for this exact book.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author “Funny, sexy and smart, Ali Hazelwood did a terrific job with The Love Hypothesis .”—Mariana Zapata, New York Times bestselling author “This tackles one of my favorite tropes—Grumpy meets Sunshine—in a fun and utterly endearing way…I loved the nods towards fandom and romance novels, and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended!”—Jessica Clare, New York Times bestselling author “Pure slow-burning gold with lots of chemistry.”—Popsugar “A beautifully written romantic comedy with a heroine you will instantly fall in love with, The Love Hypothesis is destined to earn a place on your keeper shelf.”—Elizabeth Everett, author of A Lady’s Formula for Love “Smart, witty dialog and a diverse cast of likable secondary characters…A realistic, amusing novel that readers won’t be able to put down.”— Library Journal, starred review “Hilarious and heartwarming, The Love Hypothesis is romantic comedy at its best…a perfect amalgamation of sex and science, sure to appeal to readers of Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez.”—Shelf Awareness “With whip-smart and endearing characters, snappy prose, and a quirky take on a favorite trope, Hazelwood convincingly navigates the fraught shoals of academia…This smart, sexy contemporary should delight a wide swath of romance lovers.”— Publishers Weekly

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BOOK REVIEW: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Synopsis: When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding...six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

The Love Hypothesis snuck up on me and captured my heart.  It was addicting, sexy, angsty and thoroughly intoxicating!  I’m sure a huge fan of the fake dating trope and it not only made this book a ton of fun but it had a lot of emotional power too.  With a broody male, a quirky girl and a story filled with science, contemporary romance lovers will fall head over heels in love with this book!

“Have you considered getting a real girlfriend?” His eyebrow lifted. “Have you considered getting a real date?” “Touché.”

The prologue quickly pulled me in.  Not only was the meet cute beyond adorable and memorable , but it was laced with emotion too.  When we jumped two years and eleven months into the future in chapter one, we found Olive fake kissing some random guy.  I was like what is even going on?!   But it was because she hoped that her best friend would see her liking someone else and would then start dating her ex, who she never had feelings for. So to prove to her bestie that she had moved on, she kissed the first guy she saw. And it was Adam Carlsen who was a professor at her school and a complete jerk. It led to them fake dating and there’s so much more to the story then this but eeps I loved every minute of it!

“People who date, they—they talk. A lot. More than just greetings in the  hallway. They know each other’s favorite colors, and where they were  born, and they . . . they hold hands. They kiss.” Adam pressed his lips  together as if to suppress a smile. “We could never do that .” A fresh  wave of mortification crashed into Olive. “I am sorry about the kiss. I  really didn’t think, and—” He shook his head. “It’s fine.”

Olive was a brilliant scientist in grad school, but she was a little unsure of herself at times.  It took me a little while to warm up to her, and I wanted to shake her a time or two about her lying.  I wanted her to be upfront and honest but as the story unfolded and we learned the whys behind her actions it was impossible not to love her.  Her past and present helped mold who she was nowadays and we get to know every part of Olive.  So during moments like when she explained why she was so passionate about her research, I got tears in my eyes.  I loved her determination and dedication! And when she found her voice and the courage to say and do what she wanted, I was so proud of how far Olive grew from that first page till the last!

Olive laughed, and the way he looked at her, kind and curious and  patient . . . she must be hallucinating it. Her head was not right. She  should have brought a sun hat.

Adam Carlsen was such an unknown besides his reputation as an arrogant asshole. Yet each time we learned a little something more about Adam, I kept falling harder and harder.  Adam knew how to take control and be in charge of a situation.  Yes it sometimes made him come across as a complete and total jerk but other times it came across so hot *fans face*.  He left me feeling beyond happy, giddy and counting down till his next interaction with Olive!  But with Adam, I loved how he commanded attention from others without even trying. I also loved how his humor was so subtle and effortless; each time he made me laugh out loud he snagged another piece of my heart. Adam was caring, strong, beautiful, someone so easy to become obsessed with and the moments he was thoughtful made my heart exploded. I was absolutely obsessed with this broody man who oh so easily got added to my book boyfriend list!

“We are friends, right?” His frown deepened. “Friends?” “Yes. You and I.” He studied for a long moment. Something new passed through his face,  stark and a little sad. Too fleeting to interpret. “Yes, Olive.”

Olive and Adam’s moments together created even more speculation and gossip of what was truly happening between them.  So it easily led to them fake dating. They both had reasons behind wanting to do that. So each time they were together, I desperately wanted them never to part. I was obsessed with their coffee dates or when they ran into each other. Because even the most simplistic moments between them, like listening to a presentation or a school picnic, made me have butterflies in my stomach. The chemistry between them was through the roof hot. And while I guessed how quite a few things would play out, it never once took away from my love of this story.  But one thing I didn’t guess correctly was how unbelievably sexy this book was.  Pages upon pages of scenes had me melting into a pile on the floor.  Together they were sigh worthy!

He took a deep breath. His shoulders rose and fell in time with the  thudding of her heart. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see  you.”

The Love Hypothesis was a mixture of steamy and adorable, and landed right on my favorites list! It was impossible not to cry tears or stop the smiles that constantly appeared on my face. Ohhh plus it was so cute that Olive kept thinking of them as a book trope, like the fake boyfriend, possible one bed, her wearing his shirt and he’s speechless.  It truly didn’t even matter that I’ve read so many of these tropes countless times, Olive and Adam made it feel unique on every single page. Now I now can’t wait to read whatever else Ali Hazelwood releases!

He tilted his head. “Standard protocol?” “Yup.” “How many times have you  done this?” “Zero. But I am familiar with the trope.” “The . . . what?” He  blinked at her, confused.

“It was good, wasn’t it?” Olive asked, with a small, wistful smile. She  wasn’t herself sure what she was referring to. Maybe his arms around  her. Maybe this last kiss. Maybe everything else. The sunscreen, his  ridiculous answers on his favorite color, the quiet conversations late  at night . . . all of it had been so very good. “It was.” Adam’s voice  sounded too deep to be his own. When he pressed his lips against her  forehead one last time, she felt her love for him swell fuller than a  river in flood. 

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Adult Romance

March 16, 2022 at 11:05 am

March 23, 2022 at 12:09 pm

A million times yes! You’re making me want to re-read this one *sigh*!

March 21, 2022 at 11:05 am

March 23, 2022 at 12:11 pm

Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that it lived up to the hype for you, yay! This book was such a wonderful surprise, I was hoping to enjoy it and loved that I loved it so deeply!

March 23, 2022 at 2:16 am

March 23, 2022 at 12:23 pm

Personally I’m not a fan of the cover at all *shrugs and then hides face* lol. But it was the fake dating trope that pulled me in and I’m so glad I did because the story was so fun and the chemistry was amazing!

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The Love Hypothesis Kindle Edition

• Print length 383 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Berkley
• Publication date September 14, 2021
• File size 3306 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
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Editorial reviews, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

Chapter One

Hypothesis: When given a choice between A (a slightly inconveniencing situation) and B (a colossal shitshow with devastating consequences), I will inevitably end up selecting B.

In Olive's defense, the man didn't seem to mind the kiss too much.

It did take him a moment to adjust-perfectly understandable, given the sudden circumstances. It was an awkward, uncomfortable, somewhat painful minute, in which Olive was simultaneously smashing her lips against his and pushing herself as high as her toes would extend to keep her mouth at the same level as his face. Did he have to be so tall? The kiss must have looked like some clumsy headbutt, and she grew anxious that she was not going to be able to pull the whole thing off. Her friend Anh, whom Olive had spotted coming her way a few seconds ago, was going to take one look at this and know at once that Olive and Kiss Dude couldn't possibly be two people in the middle of a date.

Then that agonizingly slow moment went by, and the kiss became . . . different. The man inhaled sharply and inclined his head a tiny bit, making Olive feel less like a squirrel monkey climbing a baobab tree, and his hands-which were large and pleasantly warm in the AC of the hallway-closed around her waist. They slid up a few inches, coming to wrap around Olive's rib cage and holding her to himself. Not too close, and not too far.

It was more of a prolonged peck than anything, but it was quite nice, and for the life span of a few seconds Olive forgot a large number of things, including the fact that she was pressed against a random, unknown dude. That she'd barely had the time to whisper "Can I please kiss you?" before locking lips with him. That what had originally driven her to put on this entire show was the hope of fooling Anh, her best friend in the whole world.

But a good kiss will do that: make a girl forget herself for a while. Olive found herself melting into a broad, solid chest that showed absolutely no give. Her hands traveled from a defined jaw into surprisingly thick and soft hair, and then-then she heard herself sigh, as if already out of breath, and that's when it hit her like a brick on the head, the realization that- No. No.

Nope, nope, no.

She should not be enjoying this. Random dude, and all that.

Olive gasped and pushed herself away from him, frantically looking for Anh. In the 11:00 p.m. bluish glow of the biology labs' hallway, her friend was nowhere to be seen. Weird. Olive was sure she had spotted her a few seconds earlier.

Kiss Dude, on the other hand, was standing right in front of her, lips parted, chest rising and a weird light flickering in his eyes, which was exactly when it dawned on her, the enormity of what she had just done. Of who she had just-

Fuck her life.

Fuck. Her. Life.

Because Dr. Adam Carlsen was a known ass.

This fact was not remarkable in and of itself, as in academia every position above the graduate student level (Olive's level, sadly) required some degree of assness in order to be held for any length of time, with tenured faculty at the very peak of the ass pyramid. Dr. Carlsen, though-he was exceptional. At least if the rumors were anything to go by.

He was the reason Olive's roommate, Malcolm, had to completely scrap two research projects and would likely end up graduating a year late; the one who had made Jeremy throw up from anxiety before his qualifying exams; the sole culprit for half the students in the department being forced to postpone their thesis defenses. Joe, who used to be in Olive's cohort and would take her to watch out-of-focus European movies with microscopic subtitles every Thursday night, had been a research assistant in Carlsen's lab, but he'd decided to drop out six months into it for "reasons." It was probably for the best, since most of Carlsen's remaining graduate assistants had perennially shaky hands and often looked like they hadn't slept in a year.

Dr. Carlsen might have been a young academic rock star and biology's wunderkind, but he was also mean and hypercritical, and it was obvious in the way he spoke, in the way he carried himself, that he thought himself the only person doing decent science within the Stanford biology department. Within the entire world, probably. He was a notoriously moody, obnoxious, terrifying dick.

And Olive had just kissed him.

She wasn't sure how long the silence lasted-only that he was the one to break it. He stood in front of Olive, ridiculously intimidating with dark eyes and even darker hair, staring down from who knows how many inches above six feet-he must have been over half a foot taller than she was. He scowled, an expression that she recognized from seeing him attend the departmental seminar, a look that usually preceded him raising his hand to point out some perceived fatal flaw in the speaker's work.

Adam Carlsen. Destroyer of research careers , Olive had once overheard her adviser say.

It's okay. It's fine. Totally fine. She was just going to pretend nothing had happened, nod at him politely, and tiptoe her way out of here. Yes, solid plan.

"Did you . . . Did you just kiss me?" He sounded puzzled, and maybe a little out of breath. His lips were full and plump and . . . God. Kissed. There was simply no way Olive could get away with denying what she had just done.

Still, it was worth a try.

Surprisingly, it seemed to work.

"Ah. Okay, then." Carlsen nodded and turned around, looking vaguely disoriented. He took a couple of steps down the hallway, reached the water fountain-maybe where he'd been headed in the first place.

Olive was starting to believe that she might actually be off the hook when he halted and turned back with a skeptical expression.

"Are you sure?"

"I-" She buried her face in her hands. "It's not the way it looks."

"Okay. I . . . Okay," he repeated slowly. His voice was deep and low and sounded a lot like he was on his way to get ting mad. Like maybe he was already mad. "What's going on here?"

There was simply no way to explain this. Any normal person would have found Olive's situation odd, but Adam Carlsen, who obviously considered empathy a bug and not a feature of humanity, could never understand. She let her hands fall to her sides and took a deep breath.

"I . . . listen, I don't mean to be rude, but this is really none of your business."

He stared at her for a moment, and then he nodded. "Yes. Of course." He must be getting back into his usual groove, because his tone had lost some of its surprise and was back to normal-dry. Laconic. "I'll just go back to my office and begin to work on my Title IX complaint."

Olive exhaled in relief. "Yeah. That would be great, since- Wait. Your what?"

He cocked his head. "Title IX is a federal law that protects against sexual misconduct within academic settings-"

"I know what Title IX is."

"I see. So you willfully chose to disregard it."

"I- What? No. No, I didn't!"

He shrugged. "I must be mistaken, then. Someone else must have assaulted me."

"Assault-I didn't 'assault' you."

"You did kiss me."

"But not really ."

"Without first securing my consent."

"I asked if I could kiss you!"

"And then did so without waiting for my response."

"What? You said yes."

"Excuse me?"

She frowned. "I asked if I could kiss you, and you said yes."

"Incorrect. You asked if you could kiss me and I snorted."

"I'm pretty sure I heard you said yes."

He lifted one eyebrow, and for a minute Olive let herself daydream of drowning someone. Dr. Carlsen. Herself. Both sounded like great options.

"Listen, I'm really sorry. It was a weird situation. Can we just forget that this happened?"

He studied her for a long moment, his angular face serious and something else, something that she couldn't quite decipher because she was too busy noticing all over again how damn towering and broad he was. Just massive. Olive had always been slight, just this side of too slender, but girls who are five eight rarely felt diminutive. At least until they found themselves standing next to Adam Carlsen. She'd known that he was tall, of course, from seeing him around the department or walking across campus, from sharing the elevator with him, but they'd never interacted. Never been this close.

Except for a second ago, Olive. When you almost put your tongue in his-

"Is something wrong?" He sounded almost concerned.

"What? No. No, there isn't."

"Because," he continued calmly, "kissing a stranger at midnight in a science lab might be a sign that there is."

"There isn't."

Carlsen nodded, thoughtful. "Very well. Expect mail in the next few days, then." He began to walk past her, and she turned to yell after him.

"You didn't even ask my name!"

"I'm sure anyone could figure it out, since you must have swiped your badge to get in the labs area after hours. Have a good night."

"Wait!" She leaned forward and stopped him with a hand on his wrist. He paused immediately, even though it was obvious that it would take him no effort to free himself, and stared pointedly at the spot where her fingers had wrapped around his skin-right below a wristwatch that probably cost half her yearly graduate salary. Or all of it.

She let go of him at once and took one step back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"The kiss. Explain."

Olive bit into her lower lip. She had truly screwed herself over. She had to tell him, now. "Anh Pham." She looked around to make sure Anh was really gone. "The girl who was passing by. She's a graduate student in the biology department."

Carlsen gave no indication of knowing who Anh was.

"Anh has . . ." Olive pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. This was where the story became embarrassing. Complicated, and a little juvenile sounding. "I was seeing this guy in the department. Jeremy Langley, he has red hair and works with Dr. . . . Anyway, we went out just a couple of times, and then I brought him to Anh's birthday party, and they just sort of hit it off and-"

Olive shut her eyes. Which was probably a bad idea, because now she could see it painted on her lids, how her best friend and her date had bantered in that bowling alley, as if they'd known each other their whole lives; the never-exhausted topics of conversation, the laughter, and then, at the end of the night, Jeremy following Anh's every move with his gaze. It had been painfully clear who he was interested in. Olive waved a hand and tried for a smile.

"Long story short, after Jeremy and I ended things he asked Anh out. She said no because of . . . girl code and all that, but I can tell that she really likes him. She's afraid to hurt my feelings, and no matter how many times I told her it was fine she wouldn't believe me."

Not to mention that the other day I overheard her confess to our friend Malcolm that she thought Jeremy was awesome, but she could never betray me by going out with him, and she sounded so dejected. Disappointed and insecure, not at all like the spunky, larger-than-life Anh I am used to.

"So I just lied and told her that I was already dating someone else. Because she's one of my closest friends and I'd never seen her like a guy this much and I want her to have the good things she deserves and I'm positive that she would do the same for me and-" Olive realized that she was rambling and that Carlsen couldn't have cared less. She stopped and swallowed, even though her mouth felt dry. "Tonight. I told her I'd be on a date tonight ."

"Ah." His expression was unreadable.

"But I'm not. So I decided to come in to work on an experiment, but Anh showed up, too. She wasn't supposed to be here. But she was. Coming this way. And I panicked-well." Olive wiped a hand down her face. "I didn't really think."

Carlsen didn't say anything, but it was there in his eyes that he was thinking. Obviously.

"I just needed her to believe that I was on a date."

He nodded. "So you kissed the first person you saw in the hallway. Perfectly logical."

Olive winced. "When you put it like that, perhaps it wasn't my best moment."

"But it wasn't my worst, either! I'm pretty sure Anh saw us. Now she'll think that I was on a date with you and she'll hopefully feel free to go out with Jeremy and-" She shook her head. "Listen. I'm so, so sorry about the kiss."

"Please, don't report me. I really thought I heard you say yes. I promise I didn't mean to . . ."

Suddenly, the enormity of what she had just done fully dawned on her. She had just kissed a random guy, a guy who happened to be the most notoriously unpleasant faculty member in the biology department. She'd misunderstood a snort for consent, she'd basically attacked him in the hallway, and now he was staring at her in that odd, pensive way, so large and focused and close to her, and . . .

Maybe it was the late night. Maybe it was that her last coffee had been sixteen hours ago. Maybe it was Adam Carlsen looking down at her, like that. All of a sudden, this entire situation was just too much.

"Actually, you're absolutely right. And I am so sorry. If you felt in any way harassed by me, you really should report me, because it's only fair. It was a horrible thing to do, though I really didn't want to . . . Not that my intentions matter; it's more like your perception of . . ."

Crap, crap, crap.

"I'm going to leave now, okay? Thank you, and . . . I am so, so, so sorry." Olive spun around on her heels and ran away down the hallway.

"Olive," she heard him call after her. "Olive, wait-"

She didn't stop. She sprinted down the stairs to the first floor and then out the building and across the pathways of the sparsely lit Stanford campus, running past a girl walking her dog and a group of students laughing in front of the library. She continued until she was standing in front of her apartment's door, stopping only to unlock it, making a beeline for her room in the hope of avoiding her roommate and whoever he might have brought home tonight. It wasn’t until she slumped on her bed, staring at the glow‑in‑the- dark stars glued to her ceiling, that she realized that she had neglected to check on her lab mice. She had also left her laptop on her bench and her sweatshirt somewhere in the lab, and she had completely forgotten to stop at the store and buy the coffee she’d promised Malcolm she’d get for tomorrow morning. Shit. What a disaster of a day. It never occurred to Olive that Dr. Adam Carlsen— known ass— had called her by her name.

About the Author

Product details.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08T6XN4FP
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (September 14, 2021)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 14, 2021
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3306 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1408725762
• #46 in Workplace Romance eBooks
• #60 in Workplace Romance
• #386 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)

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About the author

Ali hazelwood.

Ali Hazelwood is a multi-published author—alas, of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the U.S. to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. She recently became a professor, which absolutely terrifies her. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, crocheting, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her two feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

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The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis

48 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12-13

Chapters 14-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapter 20-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Different Types of Intelligence

Through the representation of academia , Olive’s difficulty to parse her emotions, and the differences between Olive and Malcolm , The Love Hypothesis shows how there are different types of intelligence. Olive, Adam, and others within the Stanford community possess intelligence, as evidenced by the fact they work in academia. Many of Olive’s thoughts about her experiment show how she understands the material and is always seeking new information with which to supplement what she already believes. Tom’s insults in later chapters reveal just how intelligent Olive is. While Tom also possesses a level of intelligence to remain in the field, even if that intelligence is only enough for him to copy and add to the work of others, his jealousy and view of Olive as a threat shows just how intelligent her thought processes are.

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Related Titles

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New York Times Best Sellers

Pride month reads, the best of "best book" lists, truth & lies, valentine's day reads: the theme of love.

17 Heartwarming Books Like The Love Hypothesis

Last Updated on November 28, 2023 by Louisa

If you’re in the mood for a sweet, tender, and gripping romance novel, then it’s no surprise you’re looking for books like The Love Hypothesis .

Although fake relationship romances are nothing new, what I loved about The Love Hypothesis was that neither of the main characters needed love. Love found them.

In fact, I even got asexual vibes from our protagonist Olive, which is two thumbs up from Epic Book Society!

I’m not a fan of fairy tale romances. I like my love stories to be real, believable, and more than just falling in love.

The Love Hypothesis delivers this effortlessly.

But what other books are out there that offer the same kind of romance? Are there any similar books to The Love Hypothesis that have that believable, witty storyline? 

The simple answer is yes! Here are some of my favorite books like The Love Hypothesis for those who enjoy a heartwarming romance story.

Affiliate Disclosure : This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through any of these links. 

Quick Answer: Top 3 Picks

But first, if you don’t have much time and need a book fast, take a look at my top three favorites:

Our Favourites!

#1 Best Highly Acclaimed Novel

The Spanish Love Deception by Elina Armas

• Written by a New York Times and USA Today bestseller
• Another fake relationship romance
• A witty storyline with a slow-burning angst romance

#2 Best in Contemporary Romance

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

• An adorable friends to lovers romance story
• From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read
• Winner of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Romance

#3 Best Romantic Comedy

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

• A funny enemies to lovers romance novel
• A New York Times bestselling author
• About a wedding where everyone gets food poisoning, except two enemies, who end up taking the honeymoon

Summary of The Love Hypothesis

But before I go into the top similar books, let’s quickly recap the story. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal any spoilers if you’re still reading!

The Love Hypothesis is a Tik-Tok sensation written by New York Times bestselling author, Ali Hazelwood. 

The story follows Olive Smith, a third-year PHD candidate who has always put her career first.

She has analyzed everything about her life and came to the conclusion that she doesn’t believe in long-term relationships.

However, her best friend is a hopeless romantic who won’t get off of her case.

In a rash decision to convince her best friend that her love life is fine, Olive kisses the first man she sees.

This man just happens to be Adam Carlson, a well-known hotshot professor. 

In a bid to get her friend off her case, the pair enter a fake relationship.

Despite his reputation for being a grade-A jerk, Adam surprises Olive with how supportive he is when she really needs someone in her corner. 

Could she be wrong about relationships all this time? This is a heartwarming medical romance novel with a fake relationship and a gripping storyline.

Books Like The Love Hypothesis

Now you remember what the story is about, it’s time to show you the top books similar to The Love Hypothesis …

1. People We Meet on Vacation – Emily Henry

Unlikely best friends Poppy and Alex live apart year-round, except for a singular week during summer vacation, which they’ve been spending together every year for a decade.

Until one trip changes everything and creates a rift between them that lasts for two whole years.

Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation is sure to quench your thirst for books like It The Love Hypothesis .

It explores the complicated truth that stands in the way of Alex and Poppy’s perfect reconciliation, juggling various complex characters and the nuances that make up their relationships. 

An adorable friends-to-lovers romance, and the winner of the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Romance, People We Meet on Vacation is an ode to being true to yourself and your feelings.

View it on:

2. The Unhoneymooners – Christina Lauren

In The Unhoneymooners , Olive Torres finds herself at her sister’s wedding and facing off against the handsome but irritating best man, Ethan Thomas – her nemesis.

Unfortunately, disaster strikes when the entire wedding party falls ill with food poisoning, leaving no one to take the honeymoon arranged for the bride and groom.

Ethan jumps at the chance to take it and Olive reluctantly agrees to join him in order to prevent him from going alone.

The pair travel to Maui for ten days of bliss in what should have been a straightforward holiday arrangement.

However, they soon find that pretending to be newlyweds is far more complicated than they anticipated as they start to succumb to their own desires.

Will this unlikely duo discover newfound love along with a beautiful island paradise?

In this romantic comedy, two unlikely individuals find themselves squared off in a love-hate match.

I loved how the characters progressed and not only found their liking for each other, but changed their overall mental attitudes.

Read my complete review of The Unhoneymooners here or you can find some similar titles to The Unhoneymooners here .

3 . The Spanish Love Deception – Elena Armas

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a sizzling enemies to lovers, fake relationship romance story. 

It’s playful and funny, and restores your faith in love. The story follows Catalina Martín’s desperate attempts to find someone who’ll pretend to be her boyfriend for a transatlantic journey to a wedding in Spain. 

Although she cannot tolerate him, her colleague Aaron Blackford seems like the unlikely best choice—rather, the only choice Catalina has—and they embark on a trip that will change their relationship forever. 

Swoon-worthy and steamy, The Spanish Love Deception is a story about the rambunctious wedding that brings Catalina and Aaron together.

4. The Deal – Elle Kennedy

The Deal is part of the ‘Off Campus’ series by Elle Kennedy but can be read as a standalone novel.

Hannah Wells is a good girl with an interest in a boy, but she’s not confident in the bedroom.

To get his attention, she decides to step out of her comfort zone and tutors the cocky captain of the Hockey Team so they can arrange a pretend date.

Garrett Graham has only ever wanted to play hockey professionally, but he needs to improve his GPA if he hopes to reach his goal.

He’s initially only interested in improving his grades when he meets Hannah Wells, thinking of her only as a means to an end.

But one passionate kiss between them leads to an unforgettable night together – and suddenly Garett is questioning what he really wants for himself and for their relationship.

Can their deal of one fake date to seduce each other keep Garrett satisfied?

The story follows two people from different worlds who slowly realize that they may not be so dissimilar as they once believed.

Read my complete review of The Deal by Elle Kennedy here or find some similar books to The Deal here .

5. Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McGuire

If you liked The Love Hypothesis , then you will love Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

Meet Abby Abernathy: a good girl focused on her first year at university, not one for drinking, smoking, or swearing. And then there’s Travis Maddox – the playboy who gambles, fights and charms his way through every girl he meets.

When Abby outright ignores Travis’ advances, he takes it upon himself to get into her books by making a bet involving moving in together for a month if either of them lose.

Will they be able to win this bet or will it bring them closer than ever before? It’s a brilliant light angst romance novel with an unforgettable bad boy as the main character.

Related Reading: Books like Beautiful Disaster

6. Ugly Love – Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover is well known for her powerful romance stories, with just the right amount of suspense and a believable storyline.

If you loved the slow-burn relationship of The Love Hypothesis , then Ugly Love should be added to your reading list.

Tate Collins and Miles Archer feel something more than just a passing attraction when they meet, but neither are ready for love.

They decide on a set of ‘rules’ to keep things simple – such as never asking about the past and not expecting a future – but soon their arrangement becomes more complicated than either of them anticipated.

Things start to break down and their love gets ugly, but Tate finds herself unable to stay away from Miles and the dangerous yet electrifying connection they have created.

Related Reading: Books like Ugly Love

7. Restore Me – J.L. Seegars

Restore Me is a forbidden romance novel about finding love after loss. It’s similar to The Love Hypothesis in the way that the main protagonists are not looking for love, but love finds them.

It follows Dominic Alexander and Sloane Kent who are falling for each other hard, only Dominic is Sloane’s late husband’s best friend. Eep! 

At first, they hate each other. Sloan finds Dominic arrogant and dismissive, and definitely off the table given their history.

But little does she know that Dominic’s attitude towards her isn’t because he hates her…rather the opposite.

After one drunken night, everything changes…

With plenty of feels, laughs, and unexpected twists, this novel is sure to leave readers feeling like they’ve experienced something special.

8. Some Kind of Magic – Mary Ann Marlowe

Some Kind of Magic is the debut novel by Mary Ann Marlowe and what a first novel!

The story follows a hapless scientist who falls in love with a rock star — but is it love or chemical?

Eden Sinclair is a Biochemist and is unaware that the scent she spritzed on herself at the lab was not perfume, but an enhanced pheromone. 

When cute Adam Copeland, a grungy-looking guy she meets at a gig, who also happens to be a rock star who is loved by many women, she realizes the truth. Only she realizes after spending the night with him…

When this gorgeous rock god wants to see her again, Eden isn’t being honest about the spray. The thought that his attraction could be nothing more than a chemical reaction is too much to bear.

The only way to find out if the love is genuine is to ditch the perfume and see what happens…

The witty dialogue and thought-provoking conversations keep the pages turning as you follow this rock-star romance book with characters discovering love in a way neither one ever saw coming.

9. The Soulmate Equation – Christina Lauren

If you’ve already read The Unhoneymooners and you’re looking for other romantic comedies to get stuck into, then you’re going to love Christa Lauren’s other bestseller, The Soulmate Equation .

This book is similar to The Love Hypothesis in that it also has a storyline about two people bought together by science…or fate.

The story follows a single mom, Jess Davis, who is a statistics whizz. Her father was never around and her mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he didn’t want to be a father – so she’s not overly fond of relationships.

But then Jess learns about a new DNA-based matchmaking company, GeneticAlly, and she’s intrigued. Can she find her soulmate through DNA?

When her test shows an impossible 98 percent match with the company’s founder, Dr. River Peña, she’s even more intrigued.

She already knows Dr. Peña and she knows he’s stubborn and arrogant. Hardly soul-mate material. But when she starts to get to know him, maybe the test wasn’t that far off…

Writing with insight and wit, this work is sure to leave readers captivated by its cleverly crafted characters searching for love despite the difficult obstacles they face.

10. Things We Never Got Over – Lucy Score

At first glance, you wouldn’t guess it from the cover, but Things We Never Got Over is a steamy bad boy romance book about Knox, a solitary barber. That is, until runaway bride Naomi shows up in town and turns his life upside down.

Naomi was running from her wedding and an evil twin who stole her car and cash – leaving her stuck with nowhere to go, not even a job. But what she doesn’t know is that she also has an 11-year-old niece in tow.

What started as a favor out of pity soon develops into something more as they both struggle against their own preconceived notions and try to find their happily ever after.

This single parent romance book brings together lust and love slowly as Knox realizes he’s found someone special despite wanting to stay away from high-maintenance women.

There are similarities between this book and The Love Hypothesis in that the love story is a slow burning story, but this one is more steamy!

11. Ever After Always – Chloe Liese

Ever After Always is the third book in the Bergman Brothers series, but each book can be read as a standalone story.

The story follows Aiden and Freya who are about to embark on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey in a slow-burn, marriage-in-crisis romance story. It’s a book about making love stronger and long-lasting.

Aidan has been in love with Freya for 12 years. She’s his wife, and best friend, and he wants to give her everything. Except there’s one thing he can’t give her – a baby.

With the pressures of family asking when they can expect a child, he starts to freak out. He starts pulling away from her, and soon she has had enough and she kicks him out. 

After being forced together to celebrate her parent’s long and happy marriage, the pair must battle to save their marriage and overcome their insecurities.

A story about taking chances for real connection and dealing with unknown consequences, this book brings together themes of family dynamics, personal growth, friendship and secrets.

12. Love on the Brain – Ali Hazelwood

If you’re looking for books like The Love Hypothesis , you can’t go wrong with another book by the same author, right?

Love on the Brain is the 2022 release by Ali Hazelwood and if you loved The Love Hypothesis , you’re going to love this one!

It has similar themes in that it’s another scientist-themed rom-com where a scientist is forced to work with her nemesis.

It follows the story of Bee Königswasser who is asked to co-lead a project with her arch-enemy, Levi Ward.

But when her equipment goes missing and the staff ignores her, she realizes that she may need the help of her nemesis after all.

As they work more closely together, sparks begin to fly, and no, it’s not just chemicals reacting in the lab…

An adorable, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about an unlikely duo, this novel is filled with twists and surprises that will keep readers turning the pages.

13. Book Lovers – Emily Henry

In Book Lovers , Nora and Charlie share a mutual love of literature, but their professional relationship is one of polite dislike.

As they coincidentally meet more often, the tension between them shifts and starts to warm into something more.

This slow-burning romance book follows the same kind of storyline as The Love Hypothesis , with a delightful mix of wit and charm.

It will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter to find out if Nora and Charlie will finally realize that what started as a mutual loathing may actually have been something else all along.

14. Make It Sweet – Kristen Callihan

Make It Sweet is an emotional romance novel about finding an unlikely love.

Emma has made a name for herself playing Princess Anya on a TV series, Dark Castle, but when her character gets killed off, it all starts going downhill for her. 

Soon after she’s canceled, she finds her boyfriend in bed with another woman.

She needs to get away. So she heads to the stunning estate of Rosemont, California for some much-needed relaxation and escape.

Only, things get complicated when she meets the owner’s gorgeous grandson and ex-hockey player.

It’s clear they have a growing attraction to one another, and yet they avoid each other.

But then one impromptu nighttime skinny dip changes everything.

This is the story of two people with broken hearts, trying to mend them again. Perhaps their hearts fit together after all…

Following a mismatched pair at the center of it all, it paints a vivid picture of what it’s like to balance love and reality in a charade of romance.

15. Must Love Cowboys – Carly Bloom

Must Love Cowboys is the third in the Once Upon A Time in Texas series, but each novel can be read as a standalone novel.

This is a sexy cowboy romance novel about a bookish beautiful librarian who is in need of a fake boyfriend for an upcoming wedding. 

After she starts tutoring a gorgeous cowboy, Beau Montgomery, who really needs help managing his spreadsheets, she asks him if he would mind being her date.

And he agrees. Only he has a secret – he’s had a crush on her since junior high!

To make matters worse, the town’s gossip mill forces them to keep their fake romance deal a secret and to continue after the wedding… what happens when all these secrets come pouring out?

With its combination of lovable characters, delightful moments of humor, and a chemistry that will keep you guessing until the end, this book will make you believe in the power of true love all over again.

16. A Not So Meet Cute – Meghan Quinn

Meghan Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author, and A Not So Meet Cute is one of my favorite pieces of hers. 

It’s a romantic comedy about a desperate billionaire looking to find a fiancée.

Often described as a modern-day Pretty Woman , this hilarious billionaire romance novel will have you howling throughout.

It starts when Lottie, a good girl who was just fired, decides to stroll around a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills to search for a husband.

That’s when she bumps into Huxley, a man she takes an instant dislike to…but agrees to marry him anyway. Wait what…? 

In this romantic comedy, expectations are defied and hearts are won in surprising ways.

Readers can look forward to a refreshingly unpredictable journey filled with delicious tension, witty dialogue, and unexpected affection.

17 . The Summer Proposal – Vi Keeland

Another romance author I love is Vi Keeland, who, like Ali Hazelwood, is really good at combining humor with a romantic storyline I can believe.

The Summer Proposal is all about what happens after a blind date goes terribly wrong…

Georgia’s summer is about to get a lot more interesting when she meets Max, a captivating billionaire hockey player on the New York team.

As the sparks fly and the chemistry sizzles, it turns out that Max might be even more amazing than his dimpled smile suggests!

As they embark on a romantic adventure meant to help Georgia forget an old flame, they soon find themselves wondering if what they have can really only last one summer.

Will they take a chance and try to make it work, or will their romance be just another sweet memory?

This steaming hot sports romance novel that is sizzling with fire and passion. It’s a page-turner alright, and as it’s a steamy standalone novel, there’s no cliffhanger to spoil it.

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Final Word on Books Like The Love Hypothesis

The Love Hypothesis kept me hooked from start to finish and always intrigued by where the main characters would go.

I loved the slow-burning romance, the concept of a fake relationship, and a friendship turning intimate.

If you like these themes in your romance novels, then you are going to love the books highlighted in this guide!

If you have any more books like The Love Hypothesis that you’ve read and would like to share with other readers, let me know in the comments.

About Louisa Smith

Editor/Founder - Epic Book Society

Louisa is the Founder, Editor, and Head Honcho of Epic Book Society. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a degree in Journalism. Louisa began her writing career at the age of 7 when her poetry was published in an anthology of poems to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. Upon graduating university, she spent several years working as a journalist writing about books before transitioning to become a Primary School Teacher. Louisa loves all genres of books, but her favorites are Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, and Young Adult Fiction. Read more Louisa's story here .

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